I came to this issue by clicking on other Valente's stories besides "Silently and Very Fast".
Mantis Wives by Kij Johnson was... a gory allegory? I'm unclear and I didn't quite care for it. Pity, because Ponies, of the same writer, was too a gory allegory that is awesome in it's absolute cruelty.
Honey Bear by Sofia Samatar was damn freaky in how fast it pulls you in an unexpected, creepy direction. Full stars.
Fade to White by Katherine Valente reads like the beginning of a Dystopia novel. Leaving it there makes it a damned grim and hopeless, but it's an engrossing and disquieting piece.
As for the articles, Magic Systems felt thin, arbitrary and too anglo-centric. Plausibility and Truth was awesome. Finding the Good is a bit heartwarming, but not unexpected to my geek self. Somewhat fringe communities tend to flock to beloved members. The Conversation with China was interesting, and I might end up reading something of his.
An uneven whole, but interesting. I wonder if the is a printed version of this, and if the magic of globalization would ever drop some issues in my corner of the word for me to purchase.
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